Snapdragons
by Noc007
Summary: Sarutobi Amaya. Grandaughter of the Third Hokage. So what. What matters to her the most is proving she has what it takes to become one of the best kunoichi in Konoha. One problem: The Uchiha gets in her way and that just pisses her off.
1. A Missed Meeting

**AN: **So here's the first chapter of my official Naruto fic that's _not _a one-shot. Yes, the story is set in the Narutoverse (anime version). There will be the twists/change as it should be with any new character(s) appearing. Ah, lets just say that the story will solely focus on the OC as she live through the timeline. Simple enough, neh? ;)

Also, I'm making this story as realistic as possible. I'm specifically speaking about anything that involves emotions. I tend to do that with all my stories. So there won't be any rushing, unless it's a scene or a fast-forwarding deal. For the time being the rating will stay as is, but it will likely go up in later chapters.

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_'In the language of flowers, snapdragons are said to represent both deception (perhaps tied to the notion of concealment) and graciousness.'_

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**Chapter One**

**A Missed Meeting**

* * *

A strong gust of wind blew through the street as a twelve-year old girl made her way to the apartment(1) building. Her dark hair, worn as a long braid, gently swayed on her back as she slowly took her time to reach the building. She pushed the strands of loose hair behind her ears, keeping her sight straight ahead.

It was already seven past five and the sky would soon turn into dusk; the wind had slowly brought the clouds from the south and if she could take a wild guess, would likely bring rain for tomorrow. If there were to be any rain, then today's meeting could have been a crucial one. She was kind enough to have waited for half an hour before she knew he would be a no-show. It was not her loss though, as she had already mastered the clone technique and did not need the practice like he did. She was just being helpful, a tutor if you will, and would have gladly helped him out in the one skill he kept failing at.

She stopped a couple of steps away from the double doors that would lead into the building, her sight moving up to the second floor, third window that happened to have been open. An open window was no indication that he was home, since people who were not on floor level would leave them open. The only way to even see if he was home would be to go up the stairs, walking over to his apartment and knocking—if not furiously—upon the door.

_Wouldn't surprise me if he's at Ichiraku_, she thought as she felt another gust of wind coming from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of an old woman; the woman was seated in one of the benches that stood in front of the building, a basket on her lap and a cat on the empty seat beside her. She had seen her before, sitting in front of the establishment with cat and all. She had assumed she lived in the same building; if anything, she would know if he was home.

Turning around, she walked toward her.

"Excuse me, do you happen to know if Uzumaki Naruto is home?"

"Honorable Granddaughter, good evening! Oh yes, I've seen him carrying cans of some sort into his apartment half an hour ago, right before I came down here."

The girl smiled, as a result for revealing that the boy she was looking for was at home and because she was addressed by a title she cared not for. "Thank you," she said, turning around and beginning to walk away.

As she made her way through the doors and began ascending the stairs that connected to the second floor, she recalled how she first came to meet the blond boy.

She was six years old and had finished running five laps around the garden that was behind her home; her grandfather, once she had broached the subject of wanting to become a medic-nin, had assigned her a private tutor to train her before she was to enter the academy. While she remembered the training being hard, comparing it to now she realized it was really nothing. On one particular day, she had complained she was tired—not necessarily the truth but she was not all too keen on being trained.

'_You'll be entering the Academy in seven months. Training a little each day will prepare you physically__. That __way you will then be able to concentrate on your chakra control, something that you will not need to worry for now.'_

It was her then-tutor motto whenever she complained about the training. It was also one of the days when Asai Ishi would not be watching over her. She was her moriyaku(2) as far as she could remember. Since her mother was no longer alive, she was the one assigned to watch over her. What the others didn't know was that Ishi was incredibly strict with her being; she was never allowed to play with the boys at the park and much less play in the sand. Ishi only wanted her to play with the girls or in the playground set, never throwing balls or rolling around the grass. She once complained to her grandfather about Ishi and he had only said she was watching over her well-being, just as any mother would.

So, once her tutor saw that she was no longer able to continue her training for the day, he said he would inform Ishi about it. She took advantage of the absence of both Ishi and her tutor to quickly run out of the garden and for the park. Considering the park was less than a block away, she quickly made her way through the trees that surrounded it. Once there, she saw the other children; it was also there where she saw the boy.

He was seated by himself, overlooking the children and their parents. She had never seen the boy before, but it also seemed that the boy had never known about her when she asked why he was alone. She came to learn his name and how he was tired, which explained why he was away from the rest. Because they were children, she had quickly and unabashedly asked if he wanted to play, as she was also by herself. Time went by, so it seemed to her, when Ishi suddenly called her. She couldn't remember exactly what the two of them were doing, but it was enough to anger Ishi who ordered her immediately to get away from the boy.

Since that day, Ishi would watch her training with her tutor.

The girl stopped in front of his door, waited a second or two until she softly knocked. No answer. She knocked again and was greeted by the silence. She was about to go for a third when she heard the click of a lock being undone from the other side.

"Oh—Amaya!" The blond-haired boy greeted, a wide grin on his face once the door was opened. "What brings you here?"

The girl known as Amaya gave him a blank look, before she sighed. "You obviously have forgotten if you're asking such question."

"Huh?"

"The meeting…in the forest…clone technique?"

It took him a second or two before he realized what she was talking about. "I forgot about that," he said with a sheepish smile. "I was going to go, honest, but I completely forgot about it."

She nodded lightly. "Right."

"Well, how about if I treat you to some ramen, huh? I mean, for making you walk all this way?"

Amaya smiled, but shook her head. She should have been home by now, since she had given Ishi an estimate on how long she would be out. She might as well leave until it was thirty past five; right then she could easily lie by saying the training went for another half an hour. Plus, it helped that she had not mentioned _whom _exactly she was helping. "How about a glass of water?"

"Sure, come right in."

This was the first time she had ever visited Naruto besides walking outside of his apartment building. The reason being that they were no more than acquaintances, not friends and much less classmates. The only things they had in common was that both were attending the Academy and were in the same year; he had Iruka-sensei and she was taught by Namida-sensei. Their classrooms were right next to one another and were the only two groups of students who shared the same training field, unlike the younger students who had the whole place to themselves per class.

She had known about him, of course, who didn't? They shared their lunchtime and whenever any physical activity was to take place, they would all be there. Even so, Amaya had never spoken to him, but not because she was shy; there was just nothing about the boy that interested her. It had only been a week ago that she had personally met him for the second time; she had been walking through the training grounds when she came across the orange-clad boy practicing a technique that looked an awful lot like the Bunshin. After minutes of watching him pathetically attempt to conjure up a perfect clone, she stepped in. A short conversation later—if she could call it that—she had offered to help him. He was bashfully grateful.

"So, you live alone, hm? Must be fun," she commented as Naruto appeared with a glass of water.

"It's okay," he replied softly, handing over the glass to her. Amaya noticed the different tone in his voice and it was then that she realized her mistake. Feeling foolish for stumbling over something so obvious, she was about to speak when he said, "I'm sure living in a big house as yours must be fun, huh?" His demeanor suddenly changed. "After all, you're the granddaughter of the Third Hokage." He smiled ear to ear as he rubbed the back of his head.

She softly smiled at this, not because he mentioned to whom she was related, but by the sudden change of attitude. She had seen him be a troublesome boy, and from what she could gather of that, that was likely the reason why no one really befriended him. Oh sure, she had seen him with a group of boys occasionally but there was no mistake: people older than them did not like him.

She took a sip from her glass and as she did, she noticed two buckets of what appeared to be paint standing by a corner. "You're going to paint some fences?"

He blinked and once she signaled toward the pair of cans, he began chuckling. "Oh yeah, paint."

"Hm."

A couple of minutes later, she thanked him for the glass and headed for the door. Just as she turned the knob, she turned around to face him. "Friday's the graduation exam. If you'd like, I can help you tomorrow, after school?"

"That'd be great, thanks!"

She turned again, but before she stepped out of the door, she said over her shoulder, "Ah yes, if you plan on not coming, tell me."

* * *

_**The Quickies**_

_(1) - Not exactly sure what kind of quarters Naruto lives in, so I just made it up to be an apartment building. _

_(2) - Moriyaku means "a nurse or nanny" but in this case it's being used as a guardian. _

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_**AN: **__There you have it, the first chapter of the story. Everything that's left unexplained will eventually be explained in the future chapters - though there'll be more to know in the next chapter. Also, I've done my research but if there's something amiss concerning the Naruto world, kindly point it out. _

_Any reviews are appreciated - that includes flames, but make it reasonable, m'kay? Other than that, I will like to hear what you thought of this chapter - even if it's a simple three worded review. A review is a review and it is always appreciated. _

_Well, that's all for now. Till next time!_


	2. Brother

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**Chapter Two**

**Brother**

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With a hand under her chin, Amaya stared out from the window, her eyes taking in the sight of the blue sky and the puff of white clouds that seemed to linger. She had been proven wrong, no rain was to make its presence, which only meant that being stuck inside the classroom was a waste. It was already 2:47 and by the time it was three classes were over, all the better for those who were eager to leave. As for her, well, it only meant she would have nothing to do afterwards.

Perhaps she could walk home with Konahamaru; their classes also ended at three, the only difference from hers was that the younger ones entered at nine-thirty, while she entered at eight. It'd been a while since both of them had walked home from school. On the other hand, she could easily walk home with one of her friends, dropping them off or something, anything to keep from arriving home. Or she could ask Namida-sensei if there was anything she could learn, in case something came up with the graduation exam that'd take place tomorrow. That seemed to be out of the question, as today was practically a review of what they had been taught this year.

Yes, this certainly would have been the perfect time to have Nishino Hideaki—her tutor—around. He was the one who replaced her first tutor and who also happened to be twice as hard; since she'd been attending the academy, she was required to be trained by him four days out of the week, every second month for a whole month. It was the price for having a private tutor assigned by her grandfather; after all, she still wanted to become a medic-nin. Her training with Hideaki had ended though, just last month to be precise, and unless she did not become a genin, there was no need of his tutelage.

If it weren't for the extra training she received, she was sure she would not be the person that she was. Out of the top three students of her year (younger ones were graded in consideration of their year) she came out second—naturally that should have been upsetting. What pleased her was the fact that she was the only girl—the other two boys were from the other class. Had _they _been girls, then she would have strived to better them. After all, she wanted to become the best _female _ninja in Konoha.

So there was to be no training after class: She _could _walk home with her friends _or _walk home with Konahamaru. Well, at least there were two options she could pick out of, none really all that exciting. In any case, today's after school meeting with Naruto was cancelled and thankfully he informed her about it.

It happened earlier today.

Like everyone else, she was heading for the Academy, which happened to be near the Hokage Mountain. Had it not been for Etsuko who pointed it out, loud enough for anyone to hear, she would have not noticed the new…art. It would only be minutes later that both students and civilians had gathered around, gazing upon what some would have said to be defilement upon the monuments. Half an hour later, while Namida-sensei was starting with her review, a loud voice could be heard coming from the hallway along with a reprimand from a second person. Since the classroom's door was open, everyone could hear what was happening and even saw who they were. Because she was seated at the top row—last—she could not see whom it could be, up until a classroom door was closed.

"_Naruto, so typical." _

"_Iruka-sensei looked pissed…" _

It turned out that the blond boy had to stay after school for some activity he did not name, and like before, he thanked her for her help. The only difference from yesterday was his parting words: "Next time when we see one another, we'll be genin!"

She was confident enough that she'd be one. As for him—she was not sure. His spirit was certainly something else.

"Hey, class is over."

Amaya swatted away the hand that had been waving in front of her. "Tell me something I don't know," she replied, continuing to look out the window.

"Ishi is waiting outside."

That instantly tore Amaya's sight away from the window as she quickly stood up, only to realize by the bemused look on Etsuko's face it was a ruse. "Very funny, Satou."

The girl's face fell at the mentioned of her surname. "What have I told you about calling me by that? It's such a common name. Etsuko(2) is so me."

Amaya simply shrugged, and stood up from her seat. "Lest you forget, I do not enjoy being joked with about a certain person."

"The Honorable Granddaughter goes running for the hills at the mere mention of her moriyaku."

Amaya shook her head as she slowly descended the stairs. "Let's see how you would have dealt with a woman who's overbearing."

**X…….x…….X**

"Last I heard from TenTen, Hideaki is out in a mission," Amaya informed, leaning against the tree that stood by the Academy's gate. She had decided to wait for Konahamaru after all.

"She's the closest thing to him, why don't you train with her? I'm sure you two have trained together," the blond haired girl asked, as she stood beside Amaya.

"She's a genin and with her own team—I'm certain she has her own training to do," Amaya responded. "We never trained together; Nishino Hideaki might be her father(1) but that's the point of a private tutor—I'm his only student."

"Who happens to have a daughter," Hotaru mused. "Well, if you want, I'll train with you!"

Amaya cocked her head. "I need to hone up on my taijutsu, how about it?"

"Eh, cramps."

Amaya chuckled. "I wonder what kind of shinobi you'll end up being if you keep using such an excuse to avoid a hand-to-hand combat."

"Hey, just because I'm not as thrilled as you are, _majesty_, there's no need to ridicule." Etsuko glared, and crossed her arms over her chest.

Amaya raised her hands before her in defense. "Sorry, didn't mean for you take it seriously. Honestly though, I just need to kill some time before I get home. That's all."

Etsuko's frown softened before she sighed, "You should have accepted Daisuke's date. Poor boy's crush on you is so obvious."

"With training, do you _really _think I will have the time to have a boyfriend on the side?"

"Training this, training that—you exaggerate too much."

Amaya waved her away. "Coming from a person who's either lazy or—" She suddenly stopped once she caught sight of Etsuko's face. "Kidding."

"All this because you don't want to go home. That explains your obsession with training."

"It's Ishi. Ishi is…" Amaya began, trying to find a word that would not offend the moriyaku's character, "_domineering_. She's taken the role of mothering me to such a point that I'm sure she would rival that of a real mother. It is not to say that I don't appreciate her; my mother did find her suitable enough when she was alive. Ishi never approved of me wanting to become a ninja…she didn't state that but I could tell. Which is no surprise, really…"

"Amaya!"

The dark-haired girl turned away from Etsuko and caught sight of a young girl she'd come to know as Moegi. She wore a pair of dark green goggles over her forehead, while her ginger-colored hair was parted into two ponytails. Walking beside her was a spectacled boy known as Udon, and like Moegi, also wore his goggles in a similar style. Right at the other end walked the boy she was waiting for: Konahamaru.

He was three years her junior, though technically it could be considered two and a half, because she had turned twelve just a month ago. Konahamaru's ninth birthday was coming up, and unlike Amaya, he rarely looked forward to his day, as it only served as a sore reminder of the day their mother had died. He knew of the circumstances that surrounded their mother's death, and for a boy his age, he became more solemn than he should have when the date approached. He was named after their village by their grandfather, the Third Hokage. As opposed to Amaya who had a chance to live with both their parents—even for a short time—Konahamaru was not fortunate enough to meet either. Their father, once a Jounin, had perished on a mission months before he was born. The only other living relative they had, besides their grandfather, was Asuma, their uncle.

Just like their father, the three of them (excluding her mother) were natural citizens of Konoha. Their mother was an only child and had hailed from Kirigakure, and in contrast to her father, she was not a ninja. While she no longer could bring up a thorough memory of her parents, there were pictures that clearly showed who they were. It was evident that Konahamaru had only taken after their father. Dark brown hair, vivid eyes, lightly tanned skin; she was not sure about the personality, though she hoped that was something he created on his own. As for her, she took after her mother: raven colored hair, dark eyes with a crimson tint in them, and fair skin that contrasted nicely against her dark features.

While they were siblings, they were so distinctive and yet so alike.

"So much for waiting, hm?" Etsuko mentioned, as the three-person group approached them.

"First years(3) barely have anything going on besides the basics," Amaya responded, the three stopping in front of them.

"I heard you'll be graduating tomorrow!" Moegi exclaimed, her hands clasping in front of her, as she looked up at Amaya. "It must be so exciting."

Amaya chuckled lightly at the girl's mistake. "Not graduating, I'll be taking the exam to see whether I'll become a genin—which in itself should be exciting."

"Oh."

"That's no fun," Konahamaru opinionated, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Do you think there'll be a written test? Do you know?" Udon asked, as he rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.

"I'm not sure. Even if I knew, I've heard the exams change each year."

"I'm sure you'll do great, don't you think so Konahamaru?" Moegi asked, turning to look at the boy.

Konahamaru shrugged, which resulted Amaya quirking an eyebrow. "Don't have much faith in your sister, do you?" Amaya teased, realizing that Konahamaru must be in one of his "cool" modes, something she had come to recognize whenever he was in front of others.

"Of course I do. I'm sure you'll pass the exam," he responded simply.

Moegi chuckled, Udon sniffed, and Etsuko kicked a small rock.

"Are you heading home or meeting up with Ebisu?" Amaya asked.

Konahamaru looked up at her. "Why?"

Amaya shrugged and took a strand of loose hair before placing it behind her ear. "I thought I'd walk you home."

"What?!" the boy exclaimed, taking his position to defend himself. "I'm not a little kid that needs to be babysat!"

"It's not that," Amaya interjected, as she glanced over at Etsuko. "Just thought we should walk home together."

"Huh?"

"I don't mind walking home together," Moegi chirped.

"Me neither," Udon added.

"Hm," was Konahamaru's only reply.

Amaya grinned a she ruffled Konahamaru's hair. "Love you too."

* * *

_**The Quickies**_

_(1) - There's no background on TenTen, so I took to creating a father and a family name. _

_(2) - It means "joy child" (etsu "joy" and ko "child")_

_(3) - In this story, Konahamaru is already attending the Academy and like Amaya, has his own private tutor. From what I gathered (researches), students may start the academy as young as seven if they wish. _

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_**AN: **__Your thoughts/reviews are always appreciated. _

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_Words in chapter minus ANs: __1901_


	3. Abilities

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Chapter Three  
Abilities**

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"For the final part of the exam, you will do the Bunshin no Jutsu. When you are called, go to the next room," Namida-sensei announced as she stood in front of the classroom with a paper in her hand. "As for the rest of you, I will expect nothing more than patience. Asking for silence is out of the question, hm?"

The class chuckled and Amaya sighed from the third row.

"Alright, Aburame Shino, you're up."

"It'll be a while before I go," Amaya murmured as she watched the tall solitary boy step out of the room.

"We're in the same team," Etsuko said, as she pushed herself from her chair. "At least we have a break between exams, no?"

Today, the Academy was closed for the younger students, leaving solely the grounds and classrooms available for the exams. The exam consisted of three parts: Taijutsu, a written exam and Ninjutsu. As the exams where a special occasion, they began at nine and for the next four hours, the two groups that were taking them had been stuck inside the Academy, eagerly waiting to see the results. If everything went well, then they'd be able to leave by the time the clock hit one.

"I just want to get it over with," she groaned, as she crossed her arms over the desk before dropping her head against them. "I guess it's a good thing the last part takes less than five minutes."

"So what are you going to do for the rest of the day?" Etsuko asked and just before Amaya could answer, she followed it with a different question. "How about if we go look at the clothes over at the new shop?"

"I'm happy with my clothes—I like these pants," she answered, as she pushed herself from the desk to show off her black cropped pants. "They make me look a bit taller."

"They don't do that, shorts do."

"I'm still growing."

"You should also think of getting a new top. I mean, long sleeves will get in the way, don't you think?"

"I don't want to talk about clothes," Amaya drawled.

She heard Etsuko sigh audibly. "You're way too young to go sour."

"Sour?"

"You should rel—"

"Do you think the parents will be waiting?" Amaya interrupted, not feeling the need to converse in a subject she was not interested in. "Ino is also taking the exams, isn't she? I'm your families will be out there."

Amaya had never _personally _met Etsuko's cousin Yamanaka Ino but she very well _knew _who she was. Besides the fact that the two nearly looked alike, Ino was not the kind of person you could easily miss.

"The parents where there at the beginning, they'll be there at the end, and Ino was lucky enough to be in Iruka-sensei's class."

"Lucky? What, I'm not good enough for you?"

"Oh you know what I'm talking about."

Amaya rolled her eyes, as she knew whom Etsuko was referring to. "If you could only put as much effort into your training as you already do on the other."

"_You _should stop and smell the roses once in a while or you'll miss those lovely moments in life."

Amaya groaned.

**X…….x…….X**

"So you're one of top three students, hm?" the dark-haired, ponytailed sensei asked, looking down upon a sheet of paper. "Your agility is noted, and so is your shuriken-jutsu. Overall, it seems you rightfully earned the second spot on the list."

"Once you show the proficiency of the Bunshin, you should graduate from the Academy and receive your hitai-ate," the silver-haired man known as Mizuki-sensei said.

Amaya nodded, standing in front of the two proctors who were seated behind a desk. Knowing there was no reason to wait, she quickly made the required hand seals. "Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Seconds later, three exact copies of Amaya stood side by side, their hands holding in the last position that was required to create her clones. As her true self dropped her hands, so did the others.

"Proficient enough by creating _three _complete clones," Iruka said, as Amaya caught sight of him writing down something on the paper he read from earlier.

"Congratulations, you've just graduated to Genin," Mizuki applauded. "You now may pick up your hitai-ate."

Three sudden pops were heard when Amaya stepped forward, the sound coming from the three clones that disappeared once she released them. Along with a small stack of papers on the desk, there were also three rows of neatly arranged forehead protectors, also known as the hitai-ate; the blue bandana that held the metal plate had the leaf symbol of her village engraved on to it. Quite simply, Amaya picked up her hitai-ate from the third row before she waited to be excused.

"Please inform the other class to send in Nara Shikamaru," Iruka-sensei asked, and Amaya lightly nodded before she made her way for the door.

Amaya quickened her pace as she neared the classroom in which Iruka-sensei taught, which now had a substitute standing in for him. Feeling the cold surface of the metal plate in her palm, she stepped forward into the open doorway. Like that of her classroom, this one was no different when it came to its layouts. The stand-in for Iruka-sensei quickly looked up from the desk to Amaya and taking a cue by her presence, she said, "Who'll be this time?"

"Nara Shikamaru."

The stand-in nodded and repeated the name aloud. Now Amaya took the cue she was no longer needed and excused herself from the woman before she walked out of the classroom.

**X…….x…….X**

There were no casualties.

Everyone in her year had passed the exams, which explained the joyous atmosphere when they were finally allowed to leave. The hall was filled with raucous and this time neither of the teachers scolded them; everyone that Amaya had came across either had their hitai-ate on their forehead or were proudly waving it around. As for herself, she merely tied it on her upper-arm for the time being; she would wait until later to find a better way of wearing it besides her forehead.

As Etsuko had pointed out earlier, everyone who was not a student but a relative was waiting outside of the Academy. The sight of the adults, once the two of them were approaching the doors out of the Academy, was enough to prepare them both for the onslaught of noise and the cheery atmosphere that went hand-in-hand for moments like this.

"I guess you won't need any help finding your relatives, hm?" Etsuko asked, as she adjusted her hitai-ate, which she happened to be wearing over her forehead. "I, on the other hand, will have to wait until I hear Ino's boasting and then I'll know where to go."

The large crowd of people who where grouped into smaller crowds of their own had apparently made the grounds of the Academy the meeting place, as it appeared that no one was leaving. While she understood Etsuko's quest of finding her parents, Amaya knew all she had to do was find a much larger group; the Hokage just happened to be one of the many—if not, only—people who others gravitated towards, which was but a natural occurrence in a village. He was surely congratulating the new—albeit lower rank—shinobis and _their _parents as well.

"Ah, I see Ishi over there along with Konahamaru and his little gang," Etsuko remarked, quickly pointing the way for Amaya.

"Etsuko!"

That was the cue for Amaya to take leave, and she recognized the voice of Etsuko's mother. "I guess I'll see you around, and if not, then tomorrow for the registration," Amaya said, watching Mrs. Satou step out of the crowd. "Congratulations, though!" she last said,Amaya disappearing into the crowd, barely avoiding Etsuko's mother.

As she had expected—it was _only _predictable—both Ishi and the rest who were with her moriyaku had congratulated Amaya. Moegi was in awe, as was Udon, while Konahamaru gave her one of his many cheesy grins since he stated he always believed his big sister would become a ninja. Asuma, as she was informed by Ishi, could not meet up, considering he was out on a mission; her grandfather, as was expected, was out doing what Hokages do at times like these. Which meant that there was not much for the five of them to wait around for besides to greet those who greeted Amaya and Konahamaru. It was as they were about to leave that she caught sight of her grandfather and decided that she would stay behind for him; Ishi and Konahamaru (with his gang) left, after Amaya assured them she'd meet up with them back home.

Because she did not want to go through the crowd, Amaya walked around them while keeping a sight on her grandfather. It was then, as she was nearing a spot where she could easily walk through, that she saw _him_.

He stuck out a like a sore thumb.

Uzumaki Naruto was straddling the swing, his gaze not on the crowd but the ground beneath him. It was noticeable that he did not bear the hitai-ate like the rest, and it wasn't because he had it elsewhere. By the gloomy look on him, it meant only one thing: He had not graduated.

"_Next time when we see one another, we'll be Genin!"_

Amaya could not help but feel sympathetic, though she _also _couldn't help but scoff inwardly by the statement she had recalled. She turned around from Naruto, searching to see whether her grandfather was in sight and as she had anticipated, he was still around and busy with a new group of people. She had decided that it would not hurt if she were to talk to him.

"Naruto?"

The boy slowly raised his gaze up to her and once his half-lidded eyes recognized who she was, his solemn attitude brightened, a little. "What are you doing here?"

Amaya stopped in front of him. "Saw you here, alone…"

Naruto smiled. "Ah! Wh—"

"Remember what you said last time we talked?" she quickly interrupted. "Yesterday?"

"Huh?"

"You said that the next time we meet, we both will be Genin."

Naruto grinned as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh yeah! I did say that, didn't I? I see you became one. Congratulations!"

It surprised Amaya that he was not bothered by the statement, by the fact that she recalled a statement he himself made, a statement that he had ultimately failed at. It was also then that she became aware of the faint whisker-like markings on his face. She had not seen them before; though it was likely she had not taken notice of them. After all, she rarely stared at the boy.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Uh, no, nothing," she quickly answered. "I, um, thanks for what you said earlier."

"No problem," he grinned again.

"I would have liked to say the same, but uh…" Amaya knew she should acknowledge what happened to him, but she was not exactly sure how to go about saying it.

"There's always next year," he stated simply, a smile still etched on his face. "I, Uzumaki Naruto, do not quit so easily!"

Amaya smiled lightly at this. "I have to say, you're the first person I've come across who's so…"

He blinked. His interest was caught.

She smiled widely. "Perky. You've handle your situation well."

The blond nervously chuckled, a light blush tainting his cheeks. "Ah, th-thanks." He grinned. "It's the first time I get to hear something like that from a girl like you."

"'_A girl like you,' _huh. What's that supposed to mean? What _kind _of girl am I?"

He quickly stood up, flustered as he tried to explain himself. "I meant to say th—"

"I was just kidding," Amaya chirped, as she glanced over her shoulder. "I've got to go now. I suppose I should see you around then," she said as she slowly turned. "Bye, Naruto."

"Bye!'

**X…….x…….X**

Amaya blew upwards at the bubbles that tickled the tip of her nose, before she submerged herself into the depths of her bathtub. She held her breath, her eyelids closing firmly as she slowly counted out the numbers in her head.

'_forty-five…forty-six…forty-seven…'_

Amaya gasped, and she pushed herself into a seating position, her hands quickly wiping off the foamy white bubbles that clung onto her face. Her best time was seventy-seven seconds—that was nearly a minute and seventeen seconds she could hold her breath. It was nothing but a small exercise she created herself; it was nothing that would help her training, just a challenge she wanted to break on her own. Sighing, she leaned against the porcelain surface of the bathtub, her hands gingerly taking hold of the white bath bubbles and bringing them up to her face.

This was her way of spending the last hours of the day as a graduated Genin—it wasn't to say she did not receive any special attention earlier. Her favorite dish was served for dinner and for once, everyone she cared for was able to meet up (except for Asuma).

After blowing off the bubbles off her hands, Amaya cleared a spot in the water so all she could see through were her naked legs. Now that she was a Genin, she would need to hone up on her skills, specifically anything that involved chakra. After all, medic-nins were required to have an excellence use of them. While at the Academy they had been taught the basics of being a shinobi, the rest—evidently—was served to hone up whatever skill a Genin needed to use to better themselves and to become Chunnin. While the extra training helped, resulting her being the second best out of her year, there was one thing that was not exactly in the same level compared to the rest of her skills. Her Taijutsu was average at best, and if she were to have paid much attention to it as she had with the other skills, she would surely have been the top student out of her year.

While she _could _train for it as she no longer had to keep pace with the Academy's agenda, there was one thing that was left to be looked into. There was a level of techniques that she had only read about, but it required a particular kind of chakra to even use them. Which made her wonder, what kind of elemental chakra would she even have?

After submerging her hands underneath, she cupped them to hold the water she would bring to the surface. Amaya had no idea _how _she could use an elemental; there was a test to find out what kind of element she had, but that required a special sheet of paper. There was no way of just doing it out of the blue. Using an elemental would become second nature once the user knew_ how_ to manifest it.

'_It involves chakra,' _she thought, _'it involves concentrating it into my hands. It _also _involves using a technique. Two out of three, what are the possibilities of just concentrating chakra into the palms of my hands and then having something happen to the water? It would look odd were I to do it in front of someone….' _

But she was alone.

After cupping the water into her palms, she raised them a couple of inches off the water's surface before she closed her eyes. She concentrated; she imagined seeing her chakra flow moving towards her palms. The next step involved _doing _something where she to use a technique, but today was not the case. Amaya just concentrated the flow of chakra into her hands.

She felt the trickling of water moving down her hands, but she continued forth with the flow. She felt a slight tingle in her palms; it was only a matter of time before the water she held would disappear. _It figures, _she thought as she slowed her breathing with her eyes still closed, _I have no technique, but most importantly water is definitely NOT my element. _She felt another slight tingle in her palms and no longer did she feel the water she once cupped. Slowly, she opened her eyes and what she saw caught her breath.

The water she believed to have escaped through the cracks of her fingers had not disappeared; the tingles she had felt in the middle of her palms where not unused chakra just flowing around. No. She had done something to the water. That _something _was a small blob of water hovering an inch or two above her empty cupped hands.

_It couldn't be_, she thought as she watched the shapeless blob. _This cannot be possible…_

A sudden sharp rap on the bathroom door startled her from her thoughts, which resulted her breaking the flow. The once shapeless blob broke down into droplets, splashing her along the way. Whether it was because she had become used to the water temperature or because the blob was floating freely, those same droplets that fell on her was noticeably colder.

"What?!" Amaya exclaimed, as she stared down at her hands.

"Don't stay too long in there or you will catch a cold!" Ishi warned from the other side.

Amaya rolled her eyes. "I'll be out there in a couple of minutes."

Silence.

"Ishi?" she called out.

"Yes?" the moriyaku answered a couple of seconds later.

"Do you know if my grandfather has retired for the night?"

"No. He was called into an abrupt meeting, though. Why?"

"Just curious," was all she answered with before Amaya picked up the towel from its hanger.

* * *

_**ANs: **__This is the longest chapter I've written so far in this story - I'm happy! Will you be able to believe I already have an outline to the sequel? I'm looking forward to writing it once I finish with this story. _

_As always, I appreciate the reviews! _

_Thanks for reading. _


	4. Revelation

* * *

**Chapter Four  
Revelation  
**

* * *

Amaya had waited until her grandfather was alone, but even so, she waited for him to return to his office. As his office was connected with their home, there was no need of her to go back and forth between the two places. Since the meeting was abrupt –as she was told by Ishi- there was no definite time he would be free to see her, so once she saw him alone, she took the opportunity to approach him.

"…so when I was startled, the water blob just turned into ice-cold droplets," she finished, looking down at her open palms. "I know well enough that's not something normal; from what I know, no one has the innate ability to create something, unless…" She stopped as a new thought dawned on her before she looked back up to her grandfather. "Why did this happen?"

He made no movement to answer yet, as he slowly dragged in a smoke from his pipe; his sight was not laid on her, but on the crystal ball that was before him. Sure enough, he was thinking of what she had said; if the meeting was important enough, which she assumed it to be, it was not enough to turn her away.

"Your mother was from Kirigakure," He exhaled, before he stood up from his seat.

"The water country," Amaya said as she watched him walk towards one of the many cabinets that lay around his office. A minute later, he returned to the desk and laid a small piece of tan paper before her. Had she been here for a different reason, she would have not known what the piece of blank paper was. Slowly, she picked it up from the desk.

"It's an elemental paper, it wi--"

"-will tell me what natural element I have." Amaya finished.

He nodded, "Pass your chakra through it."

She did as she was told and concentrated flowing her chakra down her arm, hand and into the paper. Seconds later, the paper had partially turned into a different texture; it was damp but partially cut as well. It was neither this nor that. It confused her.

"As expected," he groaned thoughtfully before inhaling a smoke.

"Expected?"

"I believe there's definitely a mystery here."

Amaya cocked an eyebrow. "No offense, but that's uh…pretty obvious."

The corner of his lip turned upward as he exhaled. "Inform Ishi to come and see me tomorrow morning. I would like to speak to her."

Amaya blinked. "What does she have to do with this?"

"One must not jump to conclusions without researching any available source."

She knew what he meant, but that only added to her confusion. "So, I will have to sleep with this mystery until tomorrow then?"

He nodded and just as he was about to speak, they were interrupted by the sudden appearance of two male ninjas. "Hokage-sama, there's no sign of Na--"

The hand her grandfather raised silenced them, and it was then that two men took notice of Amaya. "You may leave now, Amaya, and don't forget to pass off the message to Ishi."

Amaya nodded before she excused herself.

**X…….x…….X**

"He'll like to meet with you tomorrow morning," Amaya said, as she came across Ishi in the corridor leading to the bedchambers. As it was already seven past ten, Amaya assumed Ishi was ready to retire for the night.

"Oh, he does? I wonder what it'll be about," Ishi murmured. "Thank you for telling me so."

"It's about me," Amaya informed before she continued, "something happened while I was taking my bath."

That caught Ishi's attention, and Amaya could not help but smile at this. "Don't worry, you won't get sacked." With all the times that Ishi had annoyed her, Amaya was not about to complain, as it had done no good when she was younger. She then went on to tell Ishi what happened while she had taken her bath. It was a good thing that she did, as Amaya got a reaction from her moriyaku; Ishi clearly paled at the mention of Amaya's newfound creation.

"Blob, you say?" Ishi breathed as she looked down at Amaya with a look that was undecipherable. "Are you sure you weren't doing a technique? I mean, you've been concentrating in your chakra for some time, perhaps you weren't aware of it."

Amaya curiously looked at her. _This is a first_, she thought. "I was confused as to why my grandfather wanted to see you, but now I believe you know something, which in itself is confusing."

"Ah, I've been around ninjas' most of my life, I'm bound to pick up a few things here and there." She chuckled.

"There's something you're not telling me," Amaya started in a low voice. "For most of my training, I focused on the physical part besides the simple techniques that require chakra use; it's been only a year where I've been honing up on it. Had I not been curious about using my chakra without a technique, I would have not created what I created."

"Oh dear, perhaps you are focusing _too _much in your training. For all we know, you might have just stumbled into a technique that does not require an extensive use of hand seals," Ishi commented, as she walked past Amaya. "Now go get some rest."

"He mentioned mother was from Kirigakure as a fact, why wo--"

"It is a fact, there's nothing odd about that," The woman interjected, "now enough about this. Go retire; I'll see you in the morning."

As Amaya watched Ishi's retreating form, a quick thought crossed her mind. "You _are _from Konoha, born and raised, yes?"

Ishi stopped, but without turning around, she nodded. "That's correct. I'm sure you know _why _I was picked by your parents. There's no mystery surrounding me, Amaya."

"How come you have no family here then? I mean, I know you were hired to watch over me, but now that I think about it, I have never _met _someone who is related to you. In one way or another, I practically met everyone's relative who works for my grandfather."

"There's a simple explanation to that, child."

Amaya knew right then that she had caused something, touched a nerve if you will. The only times she was referred to as a 'child' had only been when she had tested Ishi's patience. It was only obvious that Amaya was doing just that.

"Everyone that I had cared for had perished; I had a brother, a chunnin, who had been killed in a mission years before your birth. Now good night."

Amaya watched her go and even though her curiosity was not quenched, she knew she had to stop - out of respect for the adult.

**X…….x…….X**

"So you're telling me that cutting your hair is an act of celebration for turning into a Genin?" Etsuko asked, as Amaya pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.

"Pretty much it, though I think I will either have to get used to the bangs or I will just cut them myself later tonight," She said. Her once long tresses that were worn in a single braid ceased to exist and in its place was a short bob. The cut was chin length and was layered from the cheekbone down; the long bangs where there to create a _"spectacular frame to mysterious eyes" _eloquently said by the hairdresser. "I wanted it short, as it would not get in the way but the hairdresser cooed over the color of my eyes, so yeah. She seems to have forgotten I'm a ninja."

"I have to say that you _absolutely _look cuter with the haircut! It's the only thing you have going on when it comes to a style."

"I was not aiming for that, Etsuko." Amaya sighed.

It was Etsuko's turn to sigh. "If you didn't like it, why didn't you tell the hairdresser so?"

"I do like the style, but just not the whole 'mysterious' look with the bangs. The woman who cut it for me suggested I keep them as they are, so as to keep the whole look feminine. You know, I think I will cut them." Amaya pondered aloud, as she pulled her bangs and made a snip motion with her other fingers.

"She does have a point there, but even so, you will still look cute… boyishly perhaps but still as cute." Etsuko winked.

Amaya rolled her eyes. "At least I got my picture taken for the registration. Shouldn't you be heading for school now?"

Etsuko nodded, "I should have done something similar, but I just don't want to cut my hair now. Oh well. So what are you going to do now?"

"I'm supposed to meet with Ishi for lunch at the park."

"Pity, I would have liked to be there. What's the occasion?"

Amaya had an idea, but as she did not want to reveal the happenings of last night, she invented something else. "Just being friendly, I guess."

"Good for her."

"I guess I should do the same thing, huh? I mean, she's been there since I was a baby…"

"…and here comes the infamous _but…_"

"Nah, I'll see you tomorrow morning for the teams then?"

"As expected, well I should really get going. Don't want to miss the date with the photographer."

Amaya snickered, "I'll see you later."

**X…….x…….X**

"There's a reason why I asked of you to have lunch with me," Ishi started, once they finished their quiet lunch.

Amaya looked up from her cup of tea, finally relieved to know _what _exactly happened between Ishi and her grandfather. Earlier today neither of them gave away what happened nor had their attitudes changed.

"Doing what I did last night is no grand mystery, is it?" Amaya asked.

Ishi softly smiled at this, "It would have made everything interesting, would it not?"

Amaya stared at her, "So you're saying there's an easy explanation to it?"

Ishi nodded. "As you have already assumed, I've spoken about this with your grandfather. He would have told you himself, but he believed since I knew your mother the longest and had served her before ever stepping into Konoha--"

"You just told me you were born and raised in Konoha last night!" Amaya accused, setting her cup alongside the empty plate she had eaten from.

Ishi raised a hand to quiet her, "I know what I said but I had my reasons. Truth be told, I had hoped -as your mother had- that you would never find out the truth about her clan…"

"What truth? Why would I be better off not knowing about this?"

Ishi sighed, "As you know, your mother was born in Kirigakure that's located in the Land of Water. I was a couple years older -make that seven- when I became her personal servant, hired by the head of the household."

"I can see why my mother would hire - no, not hire. Trust you to look after me." Amaya whispered, as she gazed up at the older woman before her.

Ishi nodded, "It was in this land that suffered from war nearly two decades ago. In this war, different sides battled each other using ninja, some of whom possessed the kekkei genkai. After the war had ended, the memories of the horrific battle lingered in the minds of the people. Those with the kekkei genkai quickly became feared and hated for their ability out of concern that their existence would only bring about more war…"

"The kekkei genkai, an ability that is passed down through generations." Amaya murmured, now realizing where this was going.

It made perfect sense and a new branch of her family history was revealed to her.

Her mother belonged to the special clan that was feared, and it was this war that had made her an orphan (she was only twelve) who possessed the kekkei genkai. It was Ishi who her mother escaped with, whom fearing the worst for her charge, had fled the country disguised with new identities. Identities that were both fed to her own father and grandfather, identities that her mother had hoped they would never reveal.

"So last night was no mistake, I just happened to have stumbled upon an ability?" Amaya asked, more as a confirmation than a question.

"That is true. I suppose, with you focusing on something else you never had the time to wonder about things to experiment with. Bored with your baths, I presume?" Ishi chuckled.

With a half-smile, Amaya asked, "So I naturally have the power to control water without using a technique?"

"That's half of it. The ability is known as the Ice Release; it's a combination of wind and water-based chakra to create ice, which can be manipulated through willpower alone."

"How do you know all this?"

"It's only common sense that I would know, correct? Just like its common sense -being a ninja- to know the Uchiha's and Hyuga's kekkei genkai."

"I guess…but… how am I supposed to use this ability if there's no text about it?" Amaya asked, as she moved to sit on her folded legs. "Konoha is a fire country. I've not come across a person -besides you- who knows about this and I'm sure you only know the basics of this element, right?"

Ishi nodded, "Your grandfather had an inkling about it when you came to him last night. Being the Hokage, he would know of news from the other countries. As for the rest, I'm afraid you'll be on your own to develop your ability to the fullest without a guide; I'm sure you'll receive help in one way or another, but I'm also sure that won't hinder you." She said with a slight smirk.

With a grin, Amaya nodded.

A minute of silence went by before Ishi spoke again.

"There was a reason why I was harsh to you as a child, but it was asked of me from your mother."

"So not letting me play with the other children without being watched by my moriyaku was something mother asked? Or that I should not have turned to the shinobi life? Ah yeah, I could tell then you did not like the idea. So what was this reason?"

"Doing all that was the only way to deter you from finding out your own innate powers, but the plan was not flawless as you just found out last night," she said as she pulled out a small box from the basket she brought with her.

"I understand why it was wise not to show the ability _then_, but now there's no reason to hide it. What danger am I? It appears that I am the only person that bears the ability. Hell, I'm not in the water countryto begin with!"

"Language."

Amaya sighed, "I just find this whole thing…I don't know…weird, cool, I don't know."

"I cannot say that I understand what you're going through, but it was your mother's wish. She also left something behind for you, to be given when you reached an important point in your life." She said, as she handed the small box to her.

Once she took the box from Ishi, Amaya looked it over before she opened it to find its contents. Inside was a small black choker with a very small clear-glass pendant that was placed on the silk-like cloth.

"It is a remnant of your mother's life before she had to flee her country."

"I suppose it is a way to remember where she -I- had come from," Amaya breathed, as she gently caressed the small pendant.

* * *

_  
**AN: **There you have it. Everything had to be explained, of course!_

_As always, I appreciate the reviews and hopefully will get to hear from you._

_Thanks for reading!_


	5. Teams

**AN**: It was right around Christmas when my writing mood had _slooooowed _down, which explains why I haven't been able to update. But that has changed of course. I'm back on the road with this story! Also, this chapter has not been beta'd over, so please excuse me for the grammatical errors!

* * *

**Chapter Five  
Teams**

* * *

Today, they will be getting into teams.

It was something that Amaya had been looking forward to, as it was a way to show and improve her skills as a shinobi. Yet, that was not the case. Her thoughts where elsewhere. Not only has she recently found out she was part of a clan that no longer exists and who happened to possess a kekkei genkai she never heard of. No, what occupied her mind was Konohamaru.

Tomorrow he would turn nine but it will also mark the ninth anniversary of their mother's death.

It was expected, there will not be a party; it will be a solemn day for everyone and it was something that Amaya wanted to change even a little for Konohamaru.

"Well look who changed looks," Etsuko first said as she stood outside the school gates along with another girl from their class, "Now you look like one of us."

"_One of us_? What's that supposed to mean?"

"A cutie of course," Etsuko winked.

Amaya shook her head, as she greeted the other girl. It was true that she had changed her look, but it was all done for convenience and not to seek attention. Gone was her long sleeves and in its place was a black nearly-sleeveless shirt and had it not been for the white skin-tight tank that she wore underneath, she would have been showing off her midriff. She had kept the same kind of style of cropped black pants and tied around her waist was her leaf hitai-ate. Besides that, the only 'adornment' she wore was the choker she had received yesterday.

"Oh, that's a pretty choker." The girl known as Keiko commented as she stepped closer, "that's pretty, where'd you get it?"

"A gift from my mother." Once Amaya caught Etsuko's curious look, "I'll tell you later. I suppose we should get going, huh?"

"Oh we should before the best seats get taken." That was enough motivation for the girls. "Do you think we'll pick our teams?"

"That's unlikely," Amaya responded, as they headed toward the Academy.

**X…….x…….X**

The classroom was nearly full by the time the three of them stepped through the door and instead of heading towards one of the empty spots, Keiko and Etsuko thought it was best to step aside and look upon the classroom. Amaya who was walking behind them stepped to the side, allowing the other students to walk through.

"Oh, look who's there." Keiko whispered to Etsuko "Let's go sit next to him?" She asked.

"There's only two seats avai--"

"Oh come on, let's just take the last table," Amaya interrupted as she clearly saw who they were speaking about. Sitting in the second to the last row was none other than Uchiha Sasuke, the one boy every girl (that she knew of) admired greatly for both his talent and physical appearance. To Amaya, he was nothing more than the one who took the first spot, making her the second best in their class year. "It's the only table empty for us three."

As she made her way toward the desk she passed by a boy and doing so she came across the one person she least expected seeing. "Naruto?"

The boy, who was leaning onto the table, looked up and once he saw her he perked up in his seat. "Yeah?"

"I thought you…" She noticed Etsuko and Keiko waiting and signaled for them to pass by and after they did, she continued. "Congratulations."

He grinned as he leaned back into his chair, "Thanks."

She could tell he did not recognized her if his body language was any indication. "It's me - Amaya."

He sat straight up again, "Amaya? Oh!" He bashfully grinned, "You look different."

"As in good or bad?"

A slight blush painted his cheeks and to spare the boy the embarrassment, she continued "So you passed after all, that's nice."

"Yeah and on the same day too! Of course I had to take my exam much later than the rest of you guys but it was worth it for this." He proudly pointed to his forehead protector.

"I guess we'll see each other around then." Amaya said and just as she was to take the first step away from the blonde boy, she heard an all to familiar voice.

"I got here first!" A blonde known as Ino exclaimed from the doorway as a pink haired girl stood by her side. Turning away from the sight, Amaya sat on the empty seat besides Etsuko.

"You cut your bangs!"

"You just noticed?" Amaya said sarcastically, aware that Etsuko's comment was loud enough to be heard. "Seriously, you and Ino are just the same."

Etsuko waved her comment away with a smug look, "I'm the one and only. I was born two months before she was."

"You had bangs?" Keiko asked, leaning into her chair to speak to Amaya from the back.

"Oh she did for yesterday's picture." Etsuko spoke for her.

Amaya sighed audibly before leaning against the table with her arms folded; the pink haired girl who was walking up the stairs caught her sight.

"Well, today should be uneventful." Amaya said to no one in particular.

**X…….x…….X**

An event unfolded right before her eyes.

Granted, Amaya was not much for gossip but she couldn't help but have her interest piqued by what happened minutes before Iruka-sensei appeared. Had she heard the occurrence second-hand, she would have brushed it away and deemed the information unnecessary. But, as it happened right in front of her, well, it was just too interesting to dismiss.

She had no idea how it happened as the silence from Etsuko (who she was speaking at the time) was enough of a sign that something had occurred. Sure, Amaya caught sight of Naruto "speaking" to Sasuke (atop the desk, mind you) just seconds before and the next thing she knew -or saw- he had fallen forward straight on Sasuke's face. Someone in the classroom broke out laughing, breaking the silence that hanged in the air and that reanimated everyone in the class. From then on, Amaya saw Naruto's unpopularity with the girls in the room _also _unfold before her eyes.

"All right, since we have an uneven number of passers this year there'll be one team with four members. I'll announce the team and their number." Iruka-sensei said as he stood in front of the classroom with a paper in his hand.

One by one Amaya listened as the students where placed in their teams, including Keiko and Etsuko who where placed in the same group along with another boy in the class. She had expected the groups to be in order by their numerical numbers, instead they were randomly called out. Team 10 was already filled, but a couple of numbers before it were still yet to be named. Truth be told, Amaya was eager to find out which team she'll be placed in; there were not many students she knew (in a personal level) like Etsuko, but that did not bother her. She would eventually come to know them and hopefully for the better…

"Team seven," Iruka started, pulling Amaya's attention to the present, "Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura--"

It was evident Naruto was pleased by this arrangement, though it befuddled Amaya as it was the same girl who clearly showed her dislike for the boy just ten minutes ago. It was also obvious that Sakura was not pleased by it.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Iruka continued.

It was nearly comical.

Just seconds ago, the girl, Sakura, was not pleased and suddenly hearing the name of the Uchiha, she had perked up. It was now Naruto's reaction that mimicked Sakura's own when she heard who she was teamed with earlier. Sighing, Amaya turned away from those seated before her; she was either bored enough or both Sakura's and Naruto's expressive-self's were _truly _interesting for her.

"And Sarutobi Amaya."

Amaya sat up on her seat, surprised by the fact that for One: she was part of the four-man group, Two: she was to be in the same team as that of Naruto - who would be the only one she knew and Three: She would _also _be in the same group as the Uchiha.

No longer would there be a list of who's the top in the class…

"We're in the same group!"

Amaya looked at Naruto who had turned on his seat to look at her with a broad grin and Sakura -who Amaya never spoken to before- glanced her way with curious eyes.

"Oh wow, you hit the jackpot." Etsuko whispered to her before Iruka continued with the naming of the teams.

"Have I?" Amaya responded under her breath before listlessly listening the names of those who where left.

**X…….x…….X**

It was only expected, it was only natural that every person had a quirk to his or her personality. That's what made the world go round (or explode) but this was something else. Nearly two hours later after being teamed up, Amaya had more than a glimpse of her teammate's personality. One was too serious (how others found that appealing, Amaya had no idea); the other reminded her much of Etsuko and the last was being himself.

Now they were all seated outside in the roof of the academy where their Jonin Hatake Kakashi-sensei was leaning against the railing. He had just (very) briefly introduced himself and was going down the line asking each to introduce themselves. Naruto was animated and clearly expressed his likes and his dreams, the latter surprising her the most. Sakura did not really say much, but her body language spoke in volumes. It was apparent to Amaya that she clearly had a crush on Sasuke but hated Naruto. As for Sasuke, he was too… serious if not odd, especially when he expressed in killing a certain someone.

Now it was her turn, which there was no need for Kakashi to point out.

"Name is Sarutobi Amaya," she began, "My likes and dislikes vary and so does my hobbies but training is amongst the latter. My dream for the future is… to become not only one of the best kunoichi in Konoha but a medic-nin as well."

He nodded. "Well then," Kakashi started as he looked upon them from where he stood. "Tomorrow we should start with something important tha--"

"We're going on a mission?!" Naruto spoke from the other end of where Amaya sat.

"Well, you could call it that."

"Well, what is it then?" Naruto asked.

"It's a survival exam, wher--"

"What? _No way_!" Naruto shouted, this time standing up. "We just graduated from the Academy!"

"He has a point," Amaya spoke out, as she shielded her eyes from the sun so as to look up at Kakashi. "I mean, I'm all for another exam if needs be…"

"Graduating from the Academy is just to pick out those who are qualified to become a Genin." Naruto expressed his shock at this, but Kakashi continued. "In this exam I'll determine whether you pass or fail tomorrow at the training grounds."

Sure, Amaya had thought the exam was fair (if not easy) but this was something she least expected. She casually glanced to the other three and could clearly see their expression of this sudden revelation.

"Alright, bring your ninja equipment and meet at 5:00 A.M."

_An early start, well then I sho_--

"Oh yeah, one last important thing." Everyone's attention was on him. "Don't eat breakfast unless you want to puke." He said nonchalantly before he disappeared in a _poof_.

"Well, that was interesting." Amaya muttered, as she stood up from her seat.

"How can you call that interesting? He's going to torture us!" Sakura exclaimed, responding directly -for the first time- to Amaya.

"Yeah, especially about the whole _survival _exam part." Naruto added grumpily.

Without saying a word, Sasuke stood up and left the three of them behind.

"Oh Sasuke!" Sakura called, quickly following after him.

"He's not much of a talker and she's pretty much a stalker." Amaya commented, as she watched the pink haired girl disappear with the raven-haired boy. "Are they usually like that?"

Naruto who had looked at them depart shrugged at Amaya's question. She not only took that as a "_No"_…

"He's a pain in the ass!"

That took her by surprise. "Ah, I see." She watched as a bird flew over them, "Well, I must get going myself. I should see you tomorrow morning then."

"Right, see ya!"

* * *

**AN**: This is the perfect time to tell you that this story will not be as long winded as the manga/anime is. Instead, I'll be jumping into the important events that affects Amaya's life (and personal growth). So, I'm estimating that there will be approximately twelve chapters to this story (if not less). Of course, the sequel is still a go ;)

Also, for those who might be curious, there's a _simple _and _quick _drawing of Sarutobi Amaya, which you can see through a link in my profile.

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for reading!


	6. Standing Out

* * *

**Chapter Six  
Standing Out**

* * *

The challenge was quite simple, really.

Take a bell from Kakashi before noon and not only would you have passed the exam, but have lunch as well. The thing was, he only held _three _bells when there were four of them; as there were no rules, it was clear that anything went.

That plainly meant that everyone was on their own.

So once Amaya saw that Kakashi was busy with Sasuke, she devised a plan that involved taking advantage of the situation Sasuke created. Hiding amongst the bushes, she followed the movements of sensei and student and waited for the opening that was sure to come. She had lowered her chakra as much as she could; it was no easy task lowering one's chakra, as it involved balancing her attention on two things. If by chance she were to drop her shield, Kakashi would surely sense her, but _hopefully _by then she'd have one in her hands.

And that opportunity finally came in the form of Kakashi fending of Sasuke's attack with both hands.

That is _exactly _when everything went wrong…

It had happened in an instant; a hand caught her wrist and the next thing she felt was her back hitting hard against the ground.

Now there she was, holding her bloody hand palm up as she glared at the boy who was just getting up from the ground. Kakashi had only left seconds ago, but not before commenting something along the lines of "impressive," leaving the two of them behind obviously _beaten_ and _without _a bell in their grasp.

Amaya had been holding her kunai when she came leaping out of the bush earlier, which was a bad idea to begin with; she had not planned on using it directly on Kakashi, as she _had _believed it would be far easier cutting off the string that held the bell. With her kunai just a foot away—the one that caused her wound—Amaya, with her uninjured hand, felt around her back pouch for the bandage she carried. Pulling out the white material, she quickly and tightly wrapped it around her open palm; the wound was a substantial cut, but thankfully not a deep one. Cutting the strip off with the kunai she picked, she returned the bandage roll back inside the pouch.

"Well, wasn't _that _a smart idea," Sasuke said with a scowl.

Amaya scoffed at the first words he'd ever spoken directly to her. "Had you not _looked _at me, I would have gotten to it!"

It was true.. Kakashi—once throwing the two of them off himself—had mentioned it was Sasuke's action that gave her away. Which, in Amaya's eyes, meant it was _his _fault she couldn't take the bell from their sensei.

It was Sasuke's turn to glare before he turned away from her. "Ambushing was your strategy?" he said over his shoulder. "How did someone with a childish idea like that end up in the same list as I back in the Academy?"

Amaya knew that was not so much a question as more of a statement about her character. Furious, she stood up. "Who the hell do you think you are talking like that?! With such ego, how can _anyone _find you appealing!" Now THAT was a statement on her part. "It's _disgusting_."

"This coming from the person who jumps into another's fight…" He walked away from her and with a wave of his hand he said, "But I'll give you credit, at least you didn't kill yourself with your own kunai."

She tightly clenched the handle of the weapon as she watched him disappear amongst the trees. "Freakin idiot," she finally muttered under her breath.

**X…….x…….X**

While Amaya was relieved to hear that she—along with the team—had passed the challenge and would remain a Genin, she couldn't help but take notice of Kakashi's strange sense of humor—if she could call it that.

"Awesome! We're finally ninjas!" Naruto yelled from where he was tied up.

"Everyone's free to go. Tomorrow we should meet at the bridge as we did today," Kakashi said as he started to walk away. No sooner did the rest follow after him, but not before Naruto called out to be untied. Amaya, who was walking alongside Sakura, glanced over her shoulder before she did to the other two; Sasuke was walking a couple of feet in front of them, his hands tucked inside his pockets, Sakura was staring ahead while Kakashi was no longer in sight.

"I don't suppose we should leave Naruto behind and tied up in that post?" Amaya asked the pink-haired girl.

Sakura shrugged. "It's his fault for trying to cheat. I'm sure he'll get out just fine."

"So much for being teammates," Amaya muttered, turning around and walking towards Naruto.

"At least someone heard me!" Naruto cried.

"Well, I couldn't really leave you tied out here, could I?" Amaya replied, walking around to untie him.

"Thanks," Naruto said once freed.

"Teaches you not to cheat, eh?" Amaya commented, as she picked up her bag.

"I was hungry and the opportunity was just sitting there. What was I supposed to do?"

Amaya shrugged. "Not judging you, just stating the obvious. Speaking about food, want my bento?"

"Can I?" he asked eagerly.

"It's not ramen," Amaya teased, recalling how much Naruto loved the food.

Naruto grinned. "I'll live."

As Amaya handed over what was left of her lunch, Kakashi suddenly appeared before them and from what she could gather, he must have used the trees to get to them. He looked upon both of them, though lingered his sight on Naruto who was already digging into the bento.

"How do you feel about extra training?"

It made sense to Amaya that Naruto—based on what she had seen—needed the training, as he was too _eager _to show the Jonin—and anyone else for that matter—he had what it took to be a shinobi when in fact he needed to control himself. Since his showiness lacked depth, she believed that someone like Kakashi would do a good deed training Naruto.

"_What? _I jus—"

"I wasn't talking to you," Kakashi interrupted as he turned to Amaya.

_That._

Literally taking Amaya by surprise, without realizing it, she dropped her bag, which promptly fell beside her legs. _She needed the training? _That couldn't be—she'd taken the position as the second _best _student in the Academy; not only did those above take notice of her academically but did of her physical skills as well, obviously earning the spot in the list. Surely, he must have been joking.

Deciding to play along—considering what had happened fifteen minutes ago—she replied, "Was I _that _bad?"

Naruto, who was halfway into the last rice ball, curiously looked at her before to Kakashi with a confused look. "Why wou—"

"Don't speak with your mouth full," Kakashi sighed, turning to Amaya. "You could improve your tactics, granted, but you are just as good as Sasuke. The training itself is not the kind you would believe it to be, not that you have an option if you plan to become the best; I highly suggest you develop your newfound abilities."

"Abilities?" Naruto asked.. "Kakashi-sensei?"

It made sense that Kakashi would know. After all, she _happened _to be his student; because she had just found out recently about her innate powers, she was not quite confident enough to speak about it with someone else. She had known that, were she to have come across this at a younger age, she would surely have mastered one way or another her kekkei-genkai and not be in the elementary level as she was now—if she could term it as such.

As Kakashi had not answered Naruto, the blond boy turned to Amaya with a curious look. She knew that it would be eventually known and would likely be considered a _very _late bloomer when it came to it. "My Kekkei-genkai."

That had been enough to rouse Naruto from his dumbfounded state and into a fury of questions: "_What!? _How can that be? Aren't the Hyuugas the only ones in Konoha? Does that mean that the Third Hokage also has this ability? Wh—"

"Naruto…" Kakashi interrupted for the second time. "Don't you have somewhere to go?"

Naruto stopped. "But Kakashi-sensei—"

"While _you do _need to practice, it's Amaya who needs to develop her abilities." He turned to Amaya. "You created three exact clones in your exam when the average was two; I assume you have managed to control and disperse your chakra."

She nodded. "I work best with it compared to my skills in taijutsu**.**"

"That'll give us a platform then. Follow me."

Seeing that Naruto was not appeased by Kakashi's reply, Amaya said as she picked up her bag, "I guess you're the first non-official to know about it. No worries, I just found out myself not so long ago. I guess I'll see you later then." With that, she soon followed the sensei.

**X…….x…….X**

There was no denying it; Amaya _actually _enjoyed the extra training.

There was nothing she could compare it to; this was not just any kind of training, considering it involved _manipulating _elements, something that a recent graduated Gennin would not be able to do so quickly. Granted, she had the advantage of creating it _naturally _and all with the usage of her chakra. If anything, she could compare this newfound ability to a child who finds out the use of something for the first time—so mundane and yet mind-blowing.

Of course, she had only managed to create a fist-size solid ice ball, which was just two steps ahead from the watery blob she unknowingly created in the bathtub. Said ice ball nearly took an hour and a half—if not two—to make, as it involved a very high concentration of both chakra and, of course, the manipulation of two elements. Once done, she had to recreate the same ice ball—which seemed to go on infinitely—to get the hang of using that particular mesh of elements. In the end, she left the training ground with tingling fingers and Kakashi reminding her that this was just the tip of the iceberg—no pun intended—of her training. While he had not directly helped her (as in showing the _how-to_), his guidance was enough to show her the way.

"Amaya!"

Looking up from her bandaged hand, which she recently rewrapped after the training with Kakashi, Amaya caught sight of Moegi and Udon coming her way.

"It's so good to see you!" the ginger-haired girl greeted. "We haven't seen you around lately. Does that mean you've been on a mission?"

Amaya smiled. "It hasn't been that long."

"Oi, what happened to your hand?" Udon asked and Amaya brought it forward for the curious boy.

"Just a cut," Amaya replied as she stretched out her fingers. "Not too painful," she lied, remembering the sharp pain she had felt earlier. "Oh, and where is Konahamaru?" she asked as she adjusted the strap of her bag she carried.

"We went to your house earlier today, but he wasn't home," Udon answered.

"Since it's his birthday, I thought he would want to go around town today," Moegi added. "We haven't seen him since yesterday."

With the excitement of the training, Amaya had completely forgotten to pass by the store for the gift she saw yesterday. While she _could _go back and do so, she did not want to appear as if she went by in a hurry to purchase said gift.

"Perhaps Ebisu stopped by today for a surprise training session," Amaya said.

"That could be it!" Moegi exclaimed as she turned to Udon. "Remember, he said he wanted to practice extra hard so he can become the next Hokage."

"Well, I must get going now, it's already four fifteen and even a ninja are not allowed to arrive late for their dinner," Amaya said, bidding a quick goodbye to the two kids.

As she neared the front gates of her home, she could see Konahamaru coming from the other side of the road, but unlike her, she could tell he was taking his time. While she knew that Ebisu was likely to pick up Konahamaru for some training any other day, Amaya was also sure that today was unlikely for him to stop by. His absence from home could only mean one thing to her…

"How long have you been out?" were the first words she uttered to the boy.

Konahamaru looked up to her once he reached the gates.. "Where'd you think?"

"Mother's grave."

His silence confirmed it, and just as he was to go through the gate's door, she stopped him. "Moegi and Udon stopped by earlier today, wanted to take you around town for your birthday but I guess they'll do that tomorrow."

He turned to her with a solemn look. "I don't cel—"

"They don't know that, do they?" He shook his head. "But… I got something for you."

"I don't want any gifts, you know that."

"You're right. Well, this isn't a gift…" Amaya started, "but I would like to show you something." With that, she quickly performed the hand—along with uttering the words—to form a perfectly round ice ball out of thin air that she now held over her bandaged palm.

"_Wow!" _

Amaya smiled proudly as Konahamaru stared at the ball before looking up at her. "Take it," she offered. With a grin, he plucked the ice with his hand.

"That's so cool!" he said, bringing up the ice near his face for a closer look. "Wait until I tell Moegi and Udon about this…" he continued in awe.

"It will melt by then."

"It will, won't it, being ice and all." He started rolling the ball between his hands. He then looked back up to her with a grin. "I also got a trick. Here, take it."

Once Amaya took the ice, Konahamaru stepped back and got into a stance. "Wait until you see what I can do… _Sexy no jutsu_!"

What she saw next was enough to cause her to drop everything she had held and reel back in shock. Standing where Konahamaru once stood was a tall and _very _naked brunette, and had it not been for the lingering smoke that barely covered her parts, she would have been exposed to the world—not that she wasn't already.

"_W-what_—_Konahamaru?!" _Amaya started, feeling a mixture of both embarrassment and anger once she caught sight of a male passerby staring at her—er, him. "What kind of Jutsu is _that_? Better yet, return to your normal self!"

He/she chuckled and disappeared in a sudden puff of smoke. Once it cleared, Konahamaru appeared with a grin plastered on his face. "See, I learned that one just two days ago."

"Who in the world taught you that? Surely not Ebisu! My, that was just…. _who?_" she demanded, as she walked up to her brother.

"I can't tell you, sorry," he said simply, crossing his arms over his chest. "But he's a ninja I hope to defeat in the future!"

Amaya sighed as she shook her head. "It's distracting and weird seeing my brother turn… but I suppose that's the point of the jutsu, isn't it."

He nodded with a smirk. "It works."

Picking up her bag—the ice now melting on the ground—she turned toward the boy. "We should head inside… or go out for dinner?"

"What about Ishi, wo—"

"She'll believe I've been out with my team, plus, there's no 'time' to signal when I'll return home. Come on, let's go eat at that barbeque place."

"Will you tell me how you learned to do the ice thing? I want to learn that too!"

"Once you tell me who taught you that jutsu."

"Hmph!"

"Oh well," Amaya said with a smirk, ruffling her brother's hair. "Your loss."

* * *

_**AN: **This chapter was full of interactions - I liked it!_

_Reviews are much appreciated._

_Thanks for reading!_


	7. Training

* * *

**Chapter Seven - Training**

* * *

"If there's anything else you need, feel free to ask," Tsunami offered as she stood in the doorway of the room both Amaya and Sakura would be sharing during their stay.

"Thank you," both girls responded simultaneously. Tsunami smiled before she left the room.

Amaya let out an audible sigh as she walked over to the bedding near the window; she had propped her bag by the wall before she walked over to the windowsill. The room they were staying in, in Tazuna's home offered a view of the ocean; because it was night, all she could see was the reflection of the white full moon in the calm, dark, surface. Propping her arms on the sill, she leaned as far out of the window as she could; a slight ocean breeze tickled her face which she reveled in before the sharp pain on her forearm made her reel back inside.

The bruise she had received earlier in the day was now prominent in color and much more painful to the touch, which was what caused her to move away from the windows' ledge. Her injury was minor compared to her other teammates', but had it not been Sasuke who yanked her away from one of Zabuza's incoming attacks, she would have surely been in a much worse condition, if not dead.

If she hadn't overestimated the situation, she would have not felt like a burden once Sasuke, as much she disliked to admit it, saved her. Not only were they all faced with a deadly situation, but it was here that Amaya realized she was not as prepared like she thought she was when she jumped in to help both Sasuke and Naruto fight one of Zabuza's clones. Of course, she should have been ready for a situation like this, but they were Genins. Now Kakashi laid in one of the other rooms, resting and recovering from the fight.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Amaya turned toward Sakura, who had just laid out her bedding and was now removing her hitai-ate_**. **_"Shoot."

"What made you help back there?"

Amaya stared at her. "Um…I don't really think I helped much. If you haven't noticed, Sasuke had to pull me out of harm's way," she said with a nervous chuckle. "Which I'd stupidly gotten into."

A bashful look came over Sakura. "That. I meant that…"

Amaya quirked an eyebrow. '_Where is this coming from?' _she thought.

"All I did was protect Tazuna and I was ex—"

"Kakashi-sensei ordered both of us to do so, but as you know, I didn't follow through. Thanks to that, I got this." Amaya showed her the back of her forearm where a grape-sized bruise had formed.

Sakura looked at it before looking back down at her hitai-ate she was holding. "The motivation. Where did you get it?"

"The confidence…" Amaya replied softly, realizing what Sakura was talking about. "I _believed _I could have helped."

A small smiled curved Sakura's lips. "It's not the mistake that you made, but the belief you had in yourself. I suppose that's why you became who you are back in the Academy."

"We hadn't met back then…"

"Everyone knows who's who if you're in the top list and you just so happen to be placed after Sasuke. Who's just like…_everything._"

Amaya scoffed lightly at this. "Had I not been a girl, I would have been overshadowed by Sasuke, huh? Even so, I keep getting reminded about it." Sakura awkwardly smiled up at her. "That's just enough motivation for me. When we first introduced ourselves back in Konoha, I mentioned I wanted to be one of the best kunoichi, and still do, but now that Sasuke's in the way…well…" Amaya shrugged, leaning against the wall. "I suppose that's not what you wanted to know, huh?"

"That's admirable, you know," Sakura commented. "It's not about Sasuke, really. Just that…how do you do it?"

Amaya slowly let herself slide down into a sitting position. "There's not much into it. I just… act." She thought for a moment, as she pulled her legs up to her chest. "Now that I think about it, I'm just like Naruto." That got a reaction from Sakura and Amaya chuckled lightly. "Not like him of course. It's just that… I believe I can do it. That's all. Why do you ask?"

A light blush crept over Sakura's cheeks. "It's just that…I don't want to be the last in the team and I wonder if perhaps you could…help me?"

"No motivation, eh?"

Sakura furiously shook her head, "It's not tha—"

Amaya waved it away. "I kid. You're smart and shown it in the last couple of missions we had…" She thought for a couple of seconds before a sly grin took over. "How about this…let's have a little competition between ourselves." Sakura blinked. "You know, just a little friendly competition. Show me—and everyone else while at it—that you are better. A rivalry of sorts, but a friendly one at that."

Sakura looked away, brushing a bang that fell over her eyes. "If you put it that way…" she said with a slight grin, "it's a challenge!"

'_That should be enough motivation_,' Amaya thought, and smiled at the pink-haired girl new enthusiasm.

**X…….x…….X**

The training Amaya had received back home, and the occasional exercise she did in-between rests to improve her Hyouton, as it was called, had been enough to easily control her chakra for the tree climbing. Of course, as Kakashi stood by in a crutch, it had taken her two tries to manage walking up the tree's trunk. Surprising as it should be, her teammates only took this accomplishment as a result from her training with Kakashi. It had been a while back when Sasuke and Sakura were informed of her kekkei-genkai, and as it was expected, Sasuke didn't show much of a reaction and Sakura was in awe.

It had been two months since she became part of Team 7, and as usual, she managed to get along with her fellow teammates. Sakura was very straight-laced, following the orders directly to a T, which made Amaya wonder if she was the "school-girl" back in the Academy; off missions, Sakura was easygoing, but there were moments where she, like the other girls, would fan girl over Sasuke and worry about the unimportant things, which Amaya found to be annoying. Overall, she would have been a likeable person had it not been that Sakura blatantly showed her dislike for Naruto. As for Sasuke, he was pretty much the lone wolf in the group and the only person Amaya could claim to be an acquaintance _within _the team. Personally, she thought of him as someone worth competing against, which he was, yet he always managed to stay one-step ahead.

Then there was Naruto.

He had taken an interest in watching her train at the beginning, encouraging her along the way—though she didn't see it that way at first. In the beginning, Amaya had found it irksome having the blonde there watching by the sidelines, but as time passed, she had come to appreciate his way of helping out. Of course, when she started with her first jutsu, Kakashi would send him away. Eventually, she had come to learn that Naruto was nothing like the way people had described him to be; granted, he had a personality that was not so easy to dismiss. Unlike Sakura and Sasuke, he was welcoming of her, though it confused her how he could easily disregard Sakura's behavior towards him.

It now had been two hours since Kakashi had left, leaving the three of them behind. Amaya sighed as she flipped herself off from the tree's trunk before landing perfectly on the ground. Placing her hands on her hips, she turned to look to her left. Two trees away, she could see Sakura taking a break from her own training, considering she was leaning against the tree trunk. The marking of the tree was evident for all to see; she had mastered the control of her chakra just thirty minutes after Amaya, clearly showing that she was the best out of Sasuke and Naruto. While she knew that Sakura was smart, she couldn't help but wonder whether the little "pep talk" she had with her last night had anything to do with her wanting to show the others she had the training down.

She had seen Naruto speak to her earlier and it didn't take much to figure out what the subject was, since it did not result in Sakura brushing him off. Before, Naruto was clearly having a hard time mastering his chakra, and with the occasional cursing, Amaya had assumed he was getting annoyed with himself. Now, she could tell he was getting better if the height of the markings on the tree was any indication. It was then that Sasuke blocked her view.

"You've managed to grasp the idea, but I suppose you have to thank Kakashi-sensei about that," he said pointedly.

"And I can see Naruto is a couple of inches ahead of you," she replied, and could see he was peeved about her comment. "But I'm sure you're not here for a chitchat." That's when she noticed the change in his demeanor; standing before her, she could see that he was struggling with something because he glanced to the side, not looking at her as he had before.

"Um…well…"

Along with him being the lone wolf, he was also prideful, so it had not taken long for Amaya to assume that what he wanted to ask was something embarrassing. "Go on, you can ask."

He crossed his arms as a light blush tainted his cheek. "Can you offer any tips?" he muttered as he avoided looking at her.

Amaya couldn't help but smirk at this. "Really? That was all? Why didn't you ask Naruto or Sak—"

"As if I'll ask that idiot for tips," he quickly snapped back to her, his embarrassment long gone and in his place a glare. "If I want to fail, I'll ask him then."

Amaya shrugged, as she turned toward the tree. "Such a team player…"

"Besides, you owe me for what I did back there," he pointed out.

"Yes, a team player," she muttered, resigning to the fact that she would have to help the lone wolf after all.

**X…….x…….X**

"I did it…" Amaya muttered to herself, dropping her arms to her side. "I finally did it…" she repeated, and walked towards the midsize shrub. The one green shrub that she had picked out of the rest as her focal point now stood encased in solid ice. She had finally completed her second new jutsu without the watchful eye of Kakashi and she couldn't be any happier.

"Hell yeah!" she exclaimed as she pumped a fist into the air. Unlike the last jutsu she mastered, this one could actually come in handy.

Content with her new achievement, Amaya knelt before the solid clear form. Had it not been that she knew what the material was made of, she would have believed it was some form of crystal that encased the once green shrub. Of course, it was no longer alive, not while it was surrounded by solid ice, she believed. Slowly, as if it were a delicate object, she gingerly touched the solid form. It was cold to the touch, very cold. Placing her hands, palms down, she pushed against it, but it did not bulge. Quickly she took her hands off it. This was a piece of solid, hard ice. Very different from the brittle ice she had started with nearly a month ago, but it had finally paid off.

With a wide grin on her face, she pushed herself off the ground. _Wait until Kakashi finds out…_ she thought as she brushed off the grass off her knees. Now there was the matter of finding a name for it. Because she was the only person to own such ability, she would be able to name the new jutsu with whatever fitting name she wished. Looking down at the shrub, she wonder how long it would be before the ice would melt. _By the looks of it, it would be hours… _

"Ice style: Encasement," she said to herself, hitting the ice with the tip of her ninja sandal. It did not budge, nor did she chip a piece. _Not as fancy, but it does encase the object. Whether it's alive or dead, that's to be seen. If it's made of water, then it's only natural to believe that everything about it had turned solid… _and so it dawned on Amaya that she had possibly killed the plant that was once a living organism. With fervor to quench her curiosity, Amaya quickly withdrew her kunai from her back pouch before she began chipping off the pieces from the ice.

It had taken her longer than she expected to get where she wanted to be but now she was finally just centimeters away from one of the branches. One last stab into the ice and she would easily break it away, and so with the plunge of her kunai, she finally did it. Dropping her kunai, she picked up the piece that was no bigger than the width of two fingers off from the ground. Still ice-cold to the touch, she quickly searched for the two pieces of rocks that she saw earlier. While she had an inkling of what the result would be of her little small experiment, she wanted to be one hundred percent sure.

In the end, it was just common sense. As biology would explain it, anything that was made of water, no matter the percentage, would freeze any organism where it to be at the right temperature. Had the shrub been a piece of rock, nothing would have happened to it, since it was not a living thing to begin with. So what was once a solid branch encased in a shard of ice was now scattered around her in broken little pieces.

It confirmed it.

Amaya had developed a powerful jutsu…

* * *

**AN: **Yayness... I enjoy writing this story and considering this is my first Naruto fic, I'm happy! I'm also writing another story called '**With Bated Breath' **which deals with the whole girl-falls-into-the-naruto-world, cliche, I know but I have twist... The base of that story is realism. As in, what would _really happen _if a girl from our world was to fall into such universe. Unlike this story, that one is focused in the POV of the OC. So, if you're interested, go check that one out! --- Yes, that's a plug for my story ;)

Well, that's all. Thanks for reading!


	8. Just Teammates

**AN: **So sorry for the lateness of this chapter! I haven't forgotten about it and much less lost interest -- heck, I've got a sequel for this story!

**In the last chapter: **

Amaya, along with her team, trained on their tree climbing. Later on, she had completed her new jutsu.

* * *

**Chapter Eight - Just Teammates**

* * *

"Naruto you idiot, you'll wake her up," a harsh whisper was heard from the other side of the bedroom door.

_I'm already awake, _Amaya thought to herself as she slowly stood up from her bed, her right hand carefully placed over the white square bandage that covered the right side of her hip. It had been a couple of hours since she last stood up, and it had only taken a couple of seconds of standing before she felt a sharp pinch under the bandage.

"Hey, I'm her friend too! I want to see ho—_hey!_ What was _that _for?!"

"You're shouting, and besides, you're not allowed to enter the girls' room without permission," Sakura said matter-of-factly. "_No_, you're not allowed."

Amaya grinned at what she heard before she turned her attention to the bandage. After pulling the waistband of her pants down enough to see it, she gingerly pulled back the material far enough to notice the five stitches that were required for her wound to close. She had been awake when the village doctor stitched her up, and while she had not felt the pain—thanks to an anesthetic—she could not help but groan inwardly as she now felt the throbbing pain. Had she (along with her team) not been involved in the fight earlier today at the bridge—with the one who was thought to be dead, Zabuza—she would have certainly not been in the condition she now was. Yet it was that situation where she had met the one named Haku.

Had she met him under different circumstances, had he not been the enemy they had all fought against, Amaya would have found someone to whom she could relate. She could have been able to ask him about the kekkei-genkai they shared, for he had evidently mastered the use of the Ice-style jutsu. But in the end, as she had knelt outside of the ice mirrors he had created and with a hand over her bloody wound, she watched his death take place before her eyes. A meaningful death from what she'd heard, but a life completely gone to waste. Now all he had left behind was the style of jutsus he had used against them, jutsus that she, Amaya, could possibly try to recreate on her own.

After she pulled up her black pants, making sure the waistband did not lie directly where the stitches were, she made her way towards the door. "Hey guys," she said after opening the door, which was enough of an action to interrupt the little "chit chat" Sakura and Naruto were having. "By any chance, did the doctor left some pain medicine or something?"

"Amaya!" Naruto greeted exuberantly.

"Oh, he has. He left it on the corner table, here, I'll get it for you," Sakura offered as she passed by the opening Amaya made for her. While Sakura was inside the room, Amaya turned to Naruto. "I'm jealous; you look as if you weren't in the fight at all."

"What? Of course I wa—"

"I mean, there's not a scratch on you. I can see a bruise or two, but that's about it. While I, on the other hand, had to get stitches," Amaya said, pulling down the waistband of her pants for Naruto to see the bandage. "Want to see?" she asked, looking back up at him.

"I—uh…that's all right," Naruto answered with a sheepish smile.

"Don't be so eager to show off your wound." Sakura appeared beside Amaya with a glass of water and a small square container. "Here, take two."

After Amaya quickly gulped down the pills and thanked Sakura, who took the empty glass and the box of pills, Amaya, again, turned to Naruto.

"You have a habit of appearing out of thin air, but really, you did well out there while I keep getting my butt whipped."

Naruto smiled ear to ear as he rubbed the back of his head, a light blush tainting his cheeks. "We all helped o—"

"Don't inflate his ego, Amaya," Sakura said from behind her. "It's bad enough."

Amaya grinned at Naruto. "Just like you do with Sasuke, huh?" she asked over her shoulder. "By the way, where is he?"

"He's outside," Sakura quickly answered.

"Lonesome as always; I guess I'll have to…" Amaya hesitated, "_thank _Sasuke for saving me again."

"Just don't make that into a habit," Sakura said, as she appeared by Amaya's side.

"I don't _dream _of making it into one, Sakura," Amaya sighed, and shook her head side to side. "If anything, I'd rather have Naruto save me instead of Sasuke. At least then, I know he won't gloat at me for failing."

Sakura started chuckling while Naruto stood there with a blush that seemed not to go away. "Oh Amaya, you're such a joker!" Sakura blurted, bent over laughing. "Naru—Sasu—" Sakura was highly amused.

"What's so funny about that, huh?" Naruto asked sincerely.

"_You…must…have…hurt…your…head…" _Sakura breathed out, as she leaned against the doorway for support.

Amaya felt her own cheeks heat up and quickly shook her head, "All right, okay. I get your joke, Sakura."

"What's so funny?" Naruto asked again.

"Oh, _wow_…"Sakura sighed, ignoring Naruto's question as she turned to Amaya. "Pick Shikamaru, at least he thinks through his strategy instead of jumping ill-prepared."

Amaya cocked her head at her statement. "Uh, what?"

Sakura waved her hand. "Ah, never mind. Hey, you should get something to eat. Follow me."

"What was that all about?" Naruto exclaimed as Sakura made her way down the hallway.

"I believe she just insulted you with this Shikamaru person," Amaya answered, walking past Naruto and after Sakura.

"_What_? Sakura!"

**X…….x…….X**

"What was _that _all about?" Etsuko asked Amaya as the two left Ichiraku. Amaya looked down upon the small booklet she special ordered from the ramen shop. "Not only that, but if looks could kill, _whoa_!"

Amaya quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

"Were you ignoring me this whole time?"

"No, why?"

"What's with the '_what_'?"

"He was the guy I told you about a week ago, the one on whom I was going to use the icicle. Had it not been for _Sasuke, _I would have likely regretted my action…" She stopped and walked over to a bench that lay directly underneath the shade. The sun's heat had been bothering her since she left home a couple of hours ago, so Amaya was relieved to find a cool shade to be under. "Which in itself was a stupid thing to create at the moment," Amaya muttered.

"Oh, one of the Suna-nins," Etsuko stated as she joined Amaya under the shade. "Ah, well that explains the look he gave you."

"Not only have I created an enemy of sorts, but a new jutsu resulted from that encounter. Funny, huh?" Amaya sighed, slumping against the bench and placing the booklet between the two of them. "Anyway, the whole sister-standing-up-for-her-younger-brother-role came to play. Had it not been that, I would have just walked away."

"Were you going to use it on him?"

"Of course not, I was taken by surprise by the sight of it. Were I in a battle, I would have been killed for hesitating. No time to be taken by surprise. Anyway, that's when _Sasuke _stepped in."

"Hey."

"Hmm?"

"If I was to buy a drink and it got warm with this heat, could you chill it with those special powers of yours?" Etsuko asked, also slumping against the bench. Had the two been in a location where many people passed by, neither of them would be sitting in the manner they were.

"I'll turn it into a popsicle if that's what you want."

"I knew I should have bought that drink back in Ichiraku. Speaking of which, who's this for? I didn't know they sold gift certificates." Etsuko took hold of the small, coupon-sized booklet Amaya placed between them.

"They don't, I had to ask. The owner was grateful enough of me asking for it."

"Free food, oh!"

"So are you studying for the Chunin exam?" Amaya asked, taking the small booklet from Etusko's grasp.

"No, but who's the gift for?"

"Naruto's birthday is tomorrow, and being teammates and all, I got him this."

"Naruto, huh?"

Amaya nodded, sitting straight up. "He's easier to figure out. Well, after Sakura who makes it so obvious."

"Really."

"Her birthday isn't for a couple of months, but I'm sure anything Sasuke-related would rock her world."

"Who wou—"

"Don't start, I get enough from Sakura," Amaya interrupted.

"Just stating the obvious, but hey, if you like Naruto, that's, well, uh…good for you." Etsuko did not bother hiding her sly grin.

"_What_?!I do not like him _that _way! He's only a teammate and a friend, that's about it," Amaya responded as she stood up in a hurry. "Seriously!"

"Now that you mention it…" Etusko started, "Konohamaru also made a friend out of him, if he following Naruto is any indication." Amaya turned, and just as Etusko mentioned, Naruto and Konohamaru's gang were walking along with the blonde. "Interesting friendships the Sarutobi clan makes," Etsuko said, and poked Amaya's side. "Anyway, I have to go to the library. I'll see you later!"

Amaya barely bid her a "bye" as the small group neared her. _When has Konohamaru been hanging around Naruto? _she thought, moving towards them. "Hey, Naruto!"

* * *

**Reviews are most appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


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